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SMM News: with the implementation of further tariffs imposed by the United States on China, the uncertainty of Sino-US trade frictions has intensified. The RMB exchange rate is under pressure, but we should guard against the overshoot of the RMB in the direction of devaluation. We believe that the current break of the "7" exchange rate of the RMB against the US dollar is generally not in line with China's interests and does more harm to China than good.
If the exchange rate falls below the key point, it may have a greater impact on market confidence, increase the pressure on capital outflows, and may even "give people a handle" in the future Sino-US economic and trade negotiations. In addition, the role of exchange rate depreciation in promoting China's foreign trade is limited, and it is far more effective to enhance the competitiveness of China's foreign trade products than to gain price advantage through exchange rate depreciation. As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the "Belt and Road Initiative" summit forum, "if China does not engage in beggar-thy-neighbour exchange rate depreciation, it will constantly improve the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism and enable the market to play a decisive role in the allocation of resources. We will maintain the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level and promote the stability of the world economy. "
We should draw lessons from Japan, not extend from trade frictions to financial frictions, neither guide exchange rate depreciation nor allow the exchange rate to appreciate substantially. On 19 May, Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the people's Bank of China and director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said in an interview on the current operation of China's financial and foreign exchange markets: "since the beginning of this year, China's foreign exchange market has been running smoothly and overseas capital inflows have increased. Foreign exchange reserves have risen steadily, and the foreign exchange market is expected to be stable as a whole. "at the same time, the people's Bank of China" has the full foundation, confidence, and ability to maintain the stable operation of China's foreign exchange market. " To maintain the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level. " After the United States imposed tariffs, the devaluation of the RMB exchange rate against the US dollar to a certain extent is a normal market reaction, but it should also be treated rationally and cautiously.
It is difficult for the United States to impose tariffs to change the trend of steady Economic Development in China
At present, China's economy has gradually stabilized. It is difficult for the United States to impose tariffs to change the trend of steady economic development in China. The RMB does not have an economic basis for devaluation.
Although the United States has formally raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to the United States from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, the impact of US tariffs should be seen in a dynamic and comprehensive manner. According to the calculations of relevant market institutions, only considering the static impact on the export sector, the United States will impose a 25 per cent tariff on US $200 billion goods, which will drag down China's GDP growth rate of 0.2 to 0.65 percentage points. According to the IMF World Economic Outlook, if China and the United States impose a full 25 per cent tariff on all goods from each other, it will drag down China's economic growth by 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points. If viewed dynamically, the actual impact of tariffs imposed by the United States may be even smaller. This is because many factors will change, such as the adjustment of the total volume and structure of bilateral trade between China and the United States, the mutual transfer of tariffs in traded goods, and the exchange rate. Markets have always spontaneously sought ways to reduce transaction costs, which helps hedge against the additional costs of imposing tariffs in the US.
Under the dynamic adjustment of economy, China's export structure is becoming more and more diversified, and the service trade is developing continuously. From January to April this year, the United States accounted for 11.5 percent of China's total trade, 5.9 percent of imports and 16.4 percent of exports, down 2.2, 1.4 and 2.8 percentage points from last year. The share of the European Union (EU) and ASEAN in China's total trade volume was 15.7% and 13.4% respectively, an increase of 0.9% and 0.6% over last year. China's total trade with countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" line has accounted for 28.7 percent of China's total foreign trade, an increase of 1.3 percentage points over the same period last year. In the first quarter of this year, China's trade deficit in services fell by 14.3% as a whole, and exports of trade in services increased by 14.3% over the same period last year. In China's trade in services, the export of knowledge-intensive services such as intellectual property rights royalties, telecommunications computers and information services, other commercial services and insurance services increased by 52.4%, 15.1%, 14.1% and 11.7% respectively compared with the same period last year.
At the same time, China has made continuous progress in readjusting its economic structure and deepening reform. The contribution of net exports to China's economic growth is very limited, and domestic demand has become the main driving force to promote China's economic growth. China's import and export trade surplus narrowed to $422.54 billion in 2017 and $351.76 billion in 2018, resulting in net exports contributing-8.6 per cent to GDP growth in 2018. In 2018, the contribution of final consumer spending to GDP growth was as high as 76.2%, an increase of 32 percentage points over the past 10 years, with an average annual increase of more than 3 percentage points. It is an important support for stable growth to promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in China. At present, the investment structure of the manufacturing industry is constantly optimized. From January to April this year, five sectors, namely, special equipment manufacturing, computer communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing, chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and general equipment manufacturing, contributed 75 percent of the growth in manufacturing investment.
A sharp devaluation of the exchange rate is not conducive to China's opening up to the outside world
Devaluation of the exchange rate will bring a lot of problems, often outweigh the losses. On the other hand, the basically stable exchange rates of various countries are of great significance to international trade, which can greatly reduce the transaction costs of international trade and investment, expand the scope of economic entities participating in cross-border economic activities, and promote the stability of the world economy. Maintaining the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level is conducive to international macro-policy coordination, produces positive spillover effects, and promotes win-win cooperation between China and major economies and trading partners. At present, China's absorption of foreign investment has increased steadily, and the structure has been continuously optimized. The basic stability of the RMB exchange rate is the basic condition to maintain this good situation.
From January to April this year, more than 13000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established throughout the country, with actual foreign investment of 305.24 billion yuan, an increase of 6.4 per cent over the same period last year (excluding banking, securities and insurance). In April, the amount of foreign investment actually used was 62.95 billion yuan, an increase of 6.3 per cent over the same period last year. Even after a year of Sino-US economic and trade frictions, US investment in China has increased by 24.3 per cent. In addition, the use of foreign investment in China's high-tech manufacturing industry and high-tech service industry has increased significantly. From January to April this year, the actual foreign investment used in the high-tech manufacturing industry was 33.41 billion yuan, an increase of 12.3 percent over the same period last year, and that in the high-tech service industry was 52.48 billion yuan, an increase of 73.4 percent over the same period last year. From this we can see that international investors have confidence in China's future development.
People's confidence and financial stability are often positive feedback and mutually reinforcing. Historically, as early as the "Green money period" of the American Civil War (1867-1879), although prices rose and the government borrowed heavily, capital flowed into the United States in large quantities because people were expected to prefer the appreciation of green money (US dollars) in the future. Reduced the depreciation of the dollar. As the war ended and more long-term capital flowed into the United States, the green note appreciated by 30%.
After years of reform, RMB exchange rate pricing has become more and more market-oriented. In recent years, the impact of capital flows on the RMB exchange rate is increasing, the asset price attribute of the exchange rate is increasing, and the market expectation has become an important factor affecting the RMB exchange rate. From the perspective of market trading, the exchange rate falling below the key level will lead to a large area of stop-loss trading, artificially "create" exchange rate depreciation, but also make the main body of the original wait-and-see trading enter the market in the direction of short positions. All these factors will cause the exchange rate to overshoot. Expectations are a major factor affecting short-term exchange rates. Once the important psychological barrier breaks through, it will trigger a readjustment of market expectations and further downgrade the valuation of the exchange rate. As expectations are self-fulfilling and self-reinforcing, attention should be paid to the impact of key points on market expectations.
At present, breaking "7" does more harm than good, and it should be avoided as far as possible.
In the process of trade friction, the range of tariff can be controlled, and even the tariff can be abolished, but the impact of financial friction is difficult to reverse, and it is difficult to control the extent of its impact.
At present, the RMB exchange rate breaking "7" is generally not in line with China's interests, and does more harm to China than good. If the exchange rate falls below the key point, it may have a greater impact on market confidence, increase the pressure of capital outflow, and may even "give people a handle" in the future Sino-US economic and trade negotiations, thus complicating the problem and leading to the escalation of trade frictions. At present, the United States does not list China as a currency manipulator. In fact, a sharp devaluation of the renminbi is also what the United States does not want. What's more, we can't continue to rely on low prices to gain a competitive advantage. Allowing the devaluation of RMB is difficult to encourage enterprises to improve product quality and enhance core competitiveness. Of course, the exchange rate should not be allowed to appreciate significantly, and the overshoot of the RMB exchange rate in the direction of appreciation should also be avoided.
At present, the people's Bank of China adheres to a prudent monetary policy that is loose and moderate, keeps the general gate of the money supply good, does not carry out "flood flooding", and maintains reasonable and abundant liquidity at the same time. The growth rate of broad money M2 and the scale of social financing should match the nominal growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP). The combination of a prudent monetary policy and a positive fiscal policy has promoted the growth of China's domestic demand, which itself is conducive to the export and GDP growth of our trading partners, and at the same time is conducive to domestic risk prevention, reform, and stable growth. It also helps to avoid the emergence of asset price bubbles, leading to negative spillover effects.
In a word, China's economic and financial macro-control tools are sufficient, space is sufficient, and the overall economic operation is stable, so it is necessary to maintain stability, enhance endurance, and have the courage to overcome difficulties. We should maintain the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level, improve the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism, and allow the market to allocate resources rationally on an objective and rational basis.


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Qatar International Boat Show flagged off at The Pearl-Qatar
The sixth edition of Qatar International Boat Show (QIBS) 2019 was inaugurated on Tuesday by HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari at Porto Arabia Marina in The Pearl–Qatar. Organised by Al Mannai Plus Events, this year’s edition, which runs until March 16, is witnessing the participation of many prominent brands and names in the sector, with more than 30 exhibitors.
The inauguration event was attended by UDC president, CEO and board member Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, QIG Marine Services executive director Captain Mohamed Ali, Qatar Free Zones Authority chief corporate services officer Fahad Zainel, senior officials from Coast Guard, Ministry of Interior, and other dignitaries.
QIBS is the only annual exhibition held in Qatar, showcasing the best luxury yachts designed with international craftsmanship, along with boats, dhows and all marine equipment and accessories. It provides a global platform for major brands to showcase their latest products to potential customers from Qatar, the Middle East and around the world. QIBS will be hosting various interesting activities such as marine tours, prizes, water activities, marine races among others. More than 5,000 visitors are expected to attend the five-day expo.

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Updated: In a business and diplomatic showdown with China, Google has found a way to stop censoring its search results yet keep a presence in the country.
Google said Monday that it has stopped censoring its search services - Search, News and Images - on Google.cn, its site in China, and that users are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, its Hong Kong site, where it is "offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong."
It's unclear, however, how long any Web surfers in China will have access to uncensored results. And Google has already warned that increased traffic could result in a slowdown or even no access as the switchover occurs.
The company said in a blog post that making good on its promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been tough. In that post, the company explained that it sees the switch to the Hong King site as a legal way of increasing access to information for the people in China. However, the company noted that the Chinese government could block access at any time.
From the post:
We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement. We believe this new approach of providing uncensored search in simplified Chinese from Google.com.hk is a sensible solution to the challenges we've faced—it's entirely legal and will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China. We very much hope that the Chinese government respects our decision, though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services. We will therefore be carefully monitoring access issues, and have created this new web page, which we will update regularly each day, so that everyone can see which Google services are available in China.
It's not a full pull-out of China for Google, though. The company said it will continue R&D work in China and maintain a sales presence, though the size of the team would be depend on whether government officials allowed access to the Hong Kong site. It also stressed that all decisions about Google and China were those of executives in the U.S. and had nothing to do with employees of the company in China.
Analysts were handicapping Google's potential shutdown of the Google.cn site ahead of the announcement. Jefferies analyst Youssef Squali said that a full exit would have no short-term impact on Google's financial results. The long-term strategic hit, however, could hurt.
Squali said that China accounts for $250 million to $350 million, or 1 to 2 percent of Google's net revenue. In the long-run, China has the world's largest Internet user base at about 400 million.
Meanwhile, Squali added that China wasn't going to change its policies for Google. Overall, it's unclear whether China will allow Google.hk to be visible in the country.
For now, Google has a dashboard detailing its services in China---the list is subject to change.


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The start-up explosion in bakery, cereal and snacks will continue as online shopping booms and consumers seek out the extraordinary, says Mintel.
Kellogg has triumphed in its battle to acquire Egyptian snack maker Bisco Misr, following the withdrawal of rival bidder Abraaj Capital at the end of last month.
Grupo Bimbo’s acquisition of Saputo Bakery is a surprise because the Canadian packaged cake firm is unprofitable and struggling, says Euromonitor International.
Snack sales and volumes across Europe remained strong last year, creating a conservative R&D sentiment throughout industry, says the European Snacks Association (ESA).
Company executives, research experts and industry advocates are among those in our top 10 battling to be crowned BakeryandSnacks’ 2014 ‘Personality of the Year’.
The steer away from carbs will continue into 2015 but if industry is clever, the shift presents plenty of opportunities, says a healthy foods expert.
Marketing insight from Frito-Lay, snacking trends for the future and wheat science were just a handful of the best-read stories on BakeryandSnacks for 2014.
The holidays are fast upon us, so let’s put ‘business’ to one side and get into the festive mood. To keep in the spirit of things, we’ve got a ‘gift’...
Midnight cereal chomping, energy-dense sports snacks and on-the-go breakfast replacements are just some of the trends set to shape the snacking market next year, according to Datamonitor Consumer.
The UK will publish an extensive report on the role of carbohydrates in the diet next year, presenting opportunities for bread makers to fight back against carb-bashing, says the Federation...
Antioxidant-rich cereals, protein-packed snack bars and bread tailored to women’s nutritional needs were just some of the product innovations identified by Datamonitor Consumer during 2014.
Our editorial panel has sifted tirelessly through a pile of fantastic nominations for this year’s BakeryandSnacks Personality of the Year awards and compiled a sparkling top 10 list.
Developing baked goods for diabetics has heaps of potential in China given the rates of diabetes and mounting concern in the country, says Datamonitor Consumer.
When it comes to Australia’s most popular snacks, it seems that tastes tend more towards savoury than sweet, market research has found.
Three major white bread brands have made it into the UK’s top 20 best-selling food and beverage list, according to IRI data, but every single one has seen sales plummet.
Two major snack brands have made it into the UK’s top 20 best-selling food and beverage list with above-market growth, according to IRI data.
Many British consumers feel guilty about snacking and even more associate it with ‘breaking’ a diet plan, research finds.
PerkinElmer has acquired Perten Instruments for $266m to ‘significantly expand’ its presence in the food testing.
Sprouted grain flour is gaining traction with food manufacturers and consumers alike thanks to its sweeter taste, longer shelf life, increased nutrient bioavailability and overall better baking experience, claims Peter...
Protein is hot - and big brands are piling more of it into everything from breakfast cereal to ice cream. Yet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans say “inadequate protein intake in...
Cambridge Engineered Solutions, a US metal conveyor belt manufacturer, has hired its first sales manager to support the company’s business growth in the UK and Ireland.
The higher cost and lack of familiarity with whole grains are complicating some schools’ efforts to comply with requirements to serve 100% whole grains that went into effect last July,...
Choosing gluten-free food is a lifestyle choice, but there is no evidence that it’s a healthier option for those not suffering from gluten intolerance, say experts.
Consumers’ perception of whole grains have come a long way, but with most Americans consuming only 15% of the recommended daily intake of them, whole grains still have several barriers...
The bakery, snack and cereal sector is vast - driven by millions of dynamic individuals across the globe. But do you or a colleague have what it takes to be...


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Your favorite electric motorcycle company from the sunny beach town of Santa Cruz is about to get some more international appeal, as Zero Motorcycles has announced today that it will expand its dealer network south of the border and into Mexico. Signing local distributor Dofesa Aventura (the Mexican distributor for Polaris and its Victory motorcycle brand), Zero’s S and DS models are immediately available for demo rides, and the rest of Zero’s line-up is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
This move continues Zero’s agressive international presence, as the brand already entered the European market back in 2008, and completes Zero’s presence in North America as Zero Motorcycles are already available in the United States and Canada as well.
Zero Motorcycles may not be amassing that the California Energy Commission gave Zero last much, whose funds were then matched by the City of Santa Cruz and other investors.
Don’t call him a custom motorcycle builder, Shinya Kimura is really more of any artist whose medium is on two-wheels (among other formats). In an industry that centers around products that should resonate with their owners, Kimura finds a way to put more soul into metal than just about anyone else we know. Check out after the jump this unlisted YouTube video by Henrik Hanssen, which shows Kimura and his work from his shop Chabott Engineering.
Qualifying ended today at Infineon Raceway, with nearly all the riders improving on their times in the day’s later qualifying session. While all the entrants will get to compete in the race regardless of whether or not they qualify, the two outings for Saturday gave us a preview as to what we can expect on Sunday’s race. As we’ve mentioned before, the Zero/Agni motorcycle looked very strong with Shawn Higbee at the helm.
Also looking confident was the “flying banana” fielded by Lightning Motors. Piloted by Michael Barnes, Barney took the yellow lightning machine around the course at a pace that was just seconds off what Higbee & Co. were lapping. We know the yellow bike has a lot of power on-board, and could give Zero a run for their money if they’ve been sand-bagging it during the practice sessions. Finishing out the top three was Thad Wolff and his stunning Norton, which blended a little bit of old with new with his streamlined retro bike chassis. Click past the jump for photos from qualifying and a full list of results.
TTXGP hit American soil here at Infineon Raceway today, with two zero-emission practice sessions under its belt for the day. Although dubbed an historic moment, today’s big winner probably wasn’t the sport of electric motorcycle racing, despite ZeroAgni put on a strong performance during the practice sessions. At the helm of the ZeroAgni bike was AMA privateer Shawn Higbee, who looked the part on the former Team Agni Isle of Man bike. Higbee was carrying tons of corner speed, and was the only electric sportbike rider to lap the course at near sportbike speed, and to really go the distance lap-wise.
As we get ready for TTXGP’s first race in the United States this weekend (and apparently the AMA is racing with them too, who knew?), more details are emerging about what we can expect from Sunday’s race. Our operatives caught Team ZeroAgni and K² out at Thunderhill last week, and saw a modified Zero S (K²’s entry), and a GSX-R piloted by Shawn Higbee taking laps around the track. With the GSX-R clearly not TTXGP legal, we were left to speculate what AMA privateer Higbee would be riding at Infineon, and now we know: it’s the inaugural TTXGP winning bike from Agni Motors (you can see the bike re-painted above, with it’s noticeable “tank-plank” protruding).
After hearing that Werkstatt Racing and Repair would soon be taking delivery of the first Mavizen to hit US soil, our ears piqued because we were under the impression that Zero Motorcycles must surely have recieved their Mavizens already, after announcing that the team would field two Mavizen bikes in the TTXGP series a while back.
With that apparently not the case, rumors suggested that Zero would be using another non-proprietary chassis at the first round of the TTXGP series at Infineon Raceway. While Zero wasn’t able to comment on their racing plans to us before the weekend, we do have some clues on what the company has up its sleeve from what we know already. More after the jump.
Zero Motorcycles and other electric manufacturers are rising stars in the motorcycle industry where few American companies have seen large scale success. Late last year one of the most loved to hate American motorcycle companies in history closed it’s doors just as it was starting to win AMA races and claimed an AMA Daytona Superbike Championship.
Years of motorcycle experience hit the streets after Buell closed it’s doors and it appears Zero was able to grab 14 years of it by bringing on Abe Askenazi as Vice President of Engineering. With that much knowledge of motorcycles under his belt, it is a great sign companies like Zero are on the right track. Check out the press release after the break for more details.
Zero Motorcycles has raised an additional $5.5 million in its Series A funding, bringing it’s total war chest to just over $10.5 million in funding to date. The Invus Groups seems to have lead, if not solely financed, the Series A round, and retains two seats on Zero’s Board of Directors. The funding is reported to “help grow the company”, which in these financial climates could mean anything from paying looming costs to amounting cash for harder days ahead. Whatever the reason, it’s a positive sign for Zero Motorcycles, and an early high-point to their 2010 accomplishments.
UPDATE: Neal Saiki comments about using the Mavizen chassis.
Zero Motorcycles has announced their entry into the 2010 TTXGP series, where they will race against Team Agni, and competitors using the CRP Racing and Mavizen platforms. Early reports peg Zero as also using a Mavizen TTX02 platform, essentially a KTM RC8 chassis gutted of its ICE components. Despite using the Mavizen/KTM chassis, the race bike will be powered by Zero’s Z-Force battery packs and motors.
Walking into the office of a company is always an interesting experience. For a company, the work place is the first expression of the company’s culture. Similarly, workspaces are often a reflection of the people that work inside them, an occupational rorschach test if you will. Yet, despite its importance and revealing nature, a company headquarters is rarely experienced by the end-consumer. It is an interesting disparity that occurs in every industry, and the electric motorcycle scene is no different.


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Shares of Reliance Industries Ltd on Monday morning climbed more than 2 per cent after the company reported a 27 per cent jump in its September quarter net profit.
The stock went up by 2.37 per cent to Rs 2,319 apiece on the BSE.
On the NSE, it climbed 2.34 per cent to Rs 2,319 per share.
It was the biggest gainer among the Sensex and Nifty firms during the morning trade.
Reliance Industries Ltd on Friday reported a 27 per cent jump in its September quarter net profit as earnings from the oil and gas business rebounded, and a pick-up in fashion and grocery helped boost retail revenues.
The oil-to-retail-to-telecom conglomerate’s consolidated net profit of Rs 17,394 crore, or Rs 25.71 per share, in July-September — the second quarter of the current 2023-24 fiscal — was 27.3 per cent higher than Rs 13,656 crore, or Rs 19.92 a share, earning a year back, the company said in a statement.
The net profit was also higher quarter-on-quarter compared to Rs 16,011 crore earnings in the preceding three months ended June 30.
The firm, helmed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, saw retail business getting good traction with growth in fashion and lifestyle as well as grocery and consumer electronics. Telecom revenues posted a modest increase as the company has not yet announced a tariff plan for 5G services even though there was a jump in data consumption with consumers migrating from faster networks.


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A maritime navigation company is preparing to double its workforce after weathering a turbulent time to forecast a 30% increase in turnover.
Solarglide Limited said it expects to see sales to rise to £600,000 in the next 12 months, a substantial increase at the seven-strong firm which has grown to compromise offices in Newcastle, Blyth and Durham as well as a manufacturing site in Cramlington since it was established in 2008.
Headquartered in Hoults Yard, Byker, the family-run firm plans to double its workforce to 14 in the coming months following a successful year producing navigational products for ships and oil rigs worldwide.
Having battled through a tough global recession, the company has seen a surge in demand for its products, prompting it to invest heavily in its social media strategy to increase brand awareness and drive new business.
The company, which also has four production staff based at its manufacturing site, already operates on an international scale with a network of agents around the globe selling its range of products including solar screens, privacy blinds, window wipers and navigational products for seafarers and the firm boasts a collection of international clients including influential marine architects and airport control towers.
It plans to launch a string of lots of new products in 2014, as well as making substantial investments in new recruits. The company’s focus in 2013 has centered around product design, functionality, testing and market preparation and it will continue to develop its growth strategy now that is has relocated to a larger premises at Hoults Yard.
Commercial director Paul Pringle said: “We have a loyal list of existing customers and we have seen a large increase in new customers coming to us. We have also increased our distributor and international agency network and developed our marketing strategy.
“The maritime industry suffered badly from the global recession with lots of large shipping companies and shipyards going into administration. Many organisations suffered huge losses from a decline in international trade and a large increase in fuel and bunkering costs. However things appear to be getting a lot better for us.
“We export 95% of our products internationally. The majority of our customers are ‘moving’ vessels so the destination of our goods could literally be anywhere in the world.
“Our plan is to increase our UK team and we will be recruiting new personnel within 2013 to be stationed at our new larger head office at Hoults Yard. I knew I wanted to be close to Newcastle city centre, and I wanted a place with the opportunity to expand with easy access for freight forwarders and couriers.”


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Apple may produce fewer iPhone 14 than previously planned. It is reported by Bloomberg.
Agency journalist Mark Gurman said that Apple may limit the production of processors for new iPhones. The specialist noted that over the past year and a half, the company has released four processors for Mac – from M1 to M1 Ultra and M2. The author also believes that over the next year, Apple will release a few more chips. In this regard, the journalist noted that the corporation donated the iPhone 14 for Mac computers, which could negatively affect the number of smartphones released.
Gurman said that Apple may limit the release of processors for phones. The author noted that the company is again interested in the release of the Mac, and therefore the supply of the iPhone and Apple Watch may slow down. The material says that the production of smartphones can also be affected by dependence on partner companies and rising costs for the production of new equipment caused by a shortage of semiconductors.
The journalist stressed that, probably, because of this, the base iPhone 14 will come out with an old-generation processor, and only premium gadgets — the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max — will be equipped with the A16 Bionic chip.


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Earlier in 2019, Lenovo showcased what it described as the 'World's First Foldable PC'.
Ten years after US tech giant Apple Inc launched its App Store, the number of Chinese developers tops 2.2 million and they have become a leading force in app development, said Apple's China chief.
Users may experience issues with updating or syncing albums.
Apple Inc on Thursday warned that sales for the crucial holiday quarter would likely miss Wall Street expectations, which Chief Executive Tim Cook blamed on weakness in emerging markets and foreign exchange costs.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Tuesday said the company is devoted to protecting people's privacy, with data encrypted and locked away on servers even in China.
According to state media, the company has recently pulled around 25,000 apps from its Chinese store in an effort to cooperate with regulators.
When Apple Inc begins hosting Chinese users' iCloud accounts in a new Chinese data center at the end of this month to comply with new laws there, Chinese authorities will have far easier access to text messages, email and other data stored in the cloud.
The first data centre is being built in southwestern Guizhou province.
Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations.
Some Chinese users of Apple Inc's products who have created Apple IDs overseas to circumvent a new law that requires their personal data to be stored within China say they have been warned by the tech giant that they risk losing the data.
Apple has started informing its Chinese iCloud users, with data transferred and uploaded to the new database automatically.
In a move to increase transparency and make inroads into China, the first data centre of the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple in the country will be put into operation on February 28, the company announced on Wednesday.
The update will work with iPhones and iPads going back a few years, but older models won't get all the new features.
The matter has remained unresolved over the last one year and has now led to an attack on the American electronics giant by R S Sharma, chairman of Trai.
Eros Group in talks with Apple to sell its content library of movies and music for around $1 billion
Eros India's library of over 3,000 Indian films would give an acquirer a clear advantage as the war over music and video streaming intensifies.
The iOS 11 is currently available as a Developer Beta Preview and the public beta version is scheduled for June.
From outlook.com to Vivaldi, here are a few Gmail alternatives to try.


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Spotify has never been shy about sharing insights from its music streaming platform and the company's now giving its advertisers the ability to get their own insights with a new ad insertion program, specifically for podcasts.
The popular streaming service took to CES announce the launch of Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI) — a new proprietary podcast ad system that will let advertisers buy targeted spots that are inserted into podcasts when they're streamed to listeners. But why? Spotify's aim with SAI is to allow advertisers far better and detailed insights (in real time) about the ads on the platform.
As reported by TechCrunch, this includes metrics such as actual ad impressions, frequency, reach, plus anonymized age, gender and device type available to podcast creators as well as advertisers.
Until now, podcasts have been delivered by way of downloads from RSS feeds, which would make this sort of data collection difficult if not impossible. The shift to streaming changes that, as it allows platforms to tap into its suite of planning, reporting and measurement capabilities, as it does for streaming music.
At launch, Spotify’s SAI technology will only be made available to its original and exclusive shows. That’s because Spotify can control this content and knows what its backend looks like, making the new technology easier to implement.
“The problem we’re solving with Spotify podcast ads is really on the advertiser’s side — advertisers have no idea how their ads are working. They don’t even know whether or not an ad they purchase is being consumed by a listener,” said Jay Richman, VP, head of Global Advertising Business & Platform, speaking to TechCrunch's Sarah Perez about the new ad technology at a press event during CES this week. The new technology, he continued, was a “first of its kind.”
Spotify has, meanwhile, invested heavily in podcasting, which included its acquisitions of Gimlet Media, Parcast and Anchor last year. The company says podcast consumption increased 39% from the second quarter of 2019 to Q3 last year.


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More than 200 companies have joined together to call for a national privacy law ahead of Democrats taking over the House in January. Members of the group include chiefs from Apple, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo.
The coalition of companies, called the Technology 202, is backing legislation from The Business Roundtable which calls for national standards for data collection and protection and additional funding for the Federal Trade Commission for enforcement, according to the Washington Post.
“We see a real need to both protect consumers at a time when digital services and the digital economy is so important and expanding, and at the same time, making sure we’re advancing global competitiveness,” Julie Sweet, chief executive of Accenture North America, who chairs the Business Roundtable’s technology committee, said.
Business Roundtable members, including AT&T Chief Randall Stephenson are scheduled to meet administration officials, including Ivanka Trump, at a CEO Innovation Summit today to make their case.


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yesterday, Big Red's CEO, Lowell McAdam, came straight out and said that his firm would be offering devices like the Pre and the BlackBerry Storm 2 within 6 months. The problem with this statement is that it had been believed
that the pin drop network had the exclusive U.S. rights to offer the Pre from the June 6th launch until the end of this year. On the other hand, 6 months from yesterday would be November 28th, which means somebody made a boo boo.
This morning, Sprint killed two birds with one curt comment. According to the WSJ's Smart Money, carrier spokesman James Fisher said this morning, "We have the Pre through 2009." That statement now confirms the length of the exclusivity period for the networker and at the same time, it tells Verizon to keep its hands off Palm's smartphone until 2010. Palm Pre Preliminary Specifications
source: WSJ Smart Money
The gloves are off between Sprint and Verizon Wireless. As we


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Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) February 04, 2014
TrackingPoint, creator of the world's first Precision Guided Firearm, will be showcasing its new 750 Series Smart Rifle, with an MSRP of $9,995, at this year's Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas. The event, called The Ultimate Hunters Marketplace, runs from February 5th to 8th at the Mandalay Bay Contention Center in Las Vegas, and the previous year's show captured 18,000 attendees. TrackingPoint is a sponsor of Safari Club International, and supports the wildlife conservation efforts of the organization.
TrackingPoint's new 750 Smart Rifle, on display at the show, provides 750 yard Tag Track Xact technology to the tech-savvy hunter, ensuring ethical shots on game at long distance. The rifle comes in a variety of popular calibers including 7mm, 300 Win Mag, and 308 Winchester. The precision rifle is fitted into a Bell & Carlson stock and features all of the key technological advancements of TrackingPoint's premier XS line, including a Networked Tracking Scope and a Guided Trigger.
TrackingPoint rifles are widely considered the most advanced rifles in the world, and are the premier long distance hunting rifles on the market today. The company recently released a video with several of its hunter employees discussing the benefits of the smart rifle, including more dynamic hunts, and a better mentoring experience for guides and new shooters. Streaming video technology is built in to the Networked Tracking Scope via a Wi-Fi server, allowing streaming of what the shooter sees in the smart rifles heads up display, to a tablet or smart phone. The new 750 rifles are available thru an application process on the TrackingPoint website, and the new 750 Series will start shipping in spring of 2014.


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PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- Just over one week after denouncing Nike and its decision to pull a shoe that features the Betsy Ross flag, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is welcoming the shoemaker to the state.
On Thursday, Nike announced it will open a new "Air Manufacturing Innovation" facility in Goodyear that will generate more than 500 full-time jobs. The facility, according to Nike officials, is expected to start producing Nike Air soles in early 2020. Currently, Nike has two facilities in the U.S. that is dedicated to the company's Nike Air line of sneakers. They are located in Oregon and Missouri.
In a tweet made to his verified Twitter account Thursday, Gov. Ducey welcomed Nike's arrival to Arizona.
"Arizona is open for business, and we welcome @Nike to our state," a portion of the tweet read.
Gov. Ducey's tweet came just a week after a controversy surrounding Nike's decision to pull a special edition of their Air Max 1 Quick Strike sneakers, which features the Betsy Ross flag. It was reported at the time that the company nixed the sneakers after former NFL quarterback turned activist, Colin Kaepernick, told the company that he and others felt the shoes were an offensive symbol because of its connection to an "era of slavery."
"NIKE made the decision to halt distribution of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation's patriotic holiday," read a portion of a statement released by Nike officials at the time.
In a series of tweets made to his verified Twitter account on July 2, Gov. Ducey denounced Nike, and also announced that he ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentives under their discretion that the state was providing.
"Arizona's economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don't need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation's history," read one of the tweets. The tweets by Ducey later sparked a response by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who praised the company and said his state is "open for business" and is just a "quick jaunt over the border", a reference to California's proximity to Arizona.
After Gov. Ducey's announcement, Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord announced the city will continue to honor the commitment the city made under the agreement. Gov. Ducey later received some media attention after he was spotted wearing a pair of Nikes during an event on 4th of July. The photo was tweeted out by officials with the Coconino County Democrats.


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As more ad dollars flow to digital, the television upfronts are a contradiction.
On the one hand, they’re a relic of the past. On the other, they’re an efficient allocation of several billion dollars’ worth of ad spending — so successful, in fact, that digital media has quit decrying the upfronts and started imitating them with their own push, the NewFronts.
The upfronts play a pivotal role in the media industry. Each spring, after the networks unveil new programming slates at their upfront presentations, media buyers work with sellers to hammer out ad deals worth billions. But indicators suggest another tough market for sellers this year. Magna Global predicts that total upfront ad sales will drop to $20 billion, a 7 percent decline from last year’s upfront season.
Magna Global’s forecast represents a 10 percent decline for broadcast, which sells most of its inventory during upfronts season, and 5 percent decline for cable, which is more reliant on the scatter market (inventory sold closer to the actual programming date). Last year, upfront broadcast sales were down 6 percent, and cable sales were down 5 percent, according to analysts.
“Advertisers want more and more flexibility, one of the influences of digital has had on TV,” said Peter Olsen, evp of ad sales at A+E Networks. “The upfront forces advertisers to commit money as far as 16 months out, and I don’t think there’s any business in America that knows what’s going on 16 months out.”
Even as overall dollar volume dropped last year, the major networks managed to scrounge up pricier ad rates. Their leverage: TV remains the most efficient, cost-effective way to reach mass audiences with ads. And broadcasters tend to have the biggest reach. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and the CW all saw CPM increases on their upfront inventory, despite a 6 percent drop in total broadcast sales.
“Price and volume have something to do with each other, but it’s not as linear a relationship as you might expect,” said Brian Wieser, senior analyst at Pivotal Research Group. “My math says that a year with zero volume change in network primetime across all networks will translate into an approximately 8 percent increase in pricing for the daypart leader. And every other price is benchmarked off of that, implicitly.”
Across both the upfront and scatter market, average CPMs for primetime network TV have climbed each year since 2010 (excepting a slight decline in 2014), according to Nielsen data. In 2010, the average primetime TV CPM was $19.74. In 2014, it was $24.76.
Advertisers boosted their spending in the scatter market 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015, according to Standard Media Index data. SMI saw a 13 percent increase in scatter spending in broadcast and a 9 percent increase in cable (compared to Q1 2014). Meanwhile, there were fewer upfront dollars in the market in Q1 2015 than Q1 2014: Cable upfront revenues were up 1 percent, but broadcast revenues were down 16 percent. Overall, SMI measured a 2 percent increase in ad dollars for cable TV (including sports spending) and a 12 percent decline for broadcast. (SMI measures 80 percent of total national U.S. agency spend directly from their booking systems, according to the company.)
Media Briefing: The case for and against monthly and annual subscriptions in the battle for retention
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for improving retention in a subscriptions business. While annual subscribers might stick around longer for some, other publishers will have better luck with monthly plans.
Digiday+ Research: The economy will hit the media and marketing industries this year, but differently
The economy will plague both the media and marketing industries in 2023, but the hit will be uneven between publishers and agencies.
Podcast ad buyers have yet to see a slowdown
Ad buyers have yet to see clients cut their podcast budgets – though the time of podcasts as the shiny new medium may be coming to an end.
SponsoredWhy Best Buy Ads sees retail media as integral to its customer-centric purpose
Sponsored by Best Buy Ads Retail media networks have become critical for marketers, with retailers investing in ways that enable advertisers to engage consumers across online and offline channels. Given the wealth of retailers’ first-party customer data and measurement capabilities, retail media networks have become a natural fit for augmenting performance marketing programs. Alongside the […]
The programmatic open marketplace is faltering, but publishers see a bright spot in private programmatic deals
Publishers are coming to terms with their open programmatic marketplace RPMs being 20-55% lower than they were this time last year, but the hope is that programmatic guaranteed deals will make up the deficit.
Marketers weigh the cons of working with Google Ad Manager amid Justice Department’s new lawsuit
When is it time to back away?


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New viral project recognizes dog in everyone.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Sputnik
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill exits his plane at the Jose Marti...
How to make a simple hand-made gift for St. Valentine's Day
Russian Foreign Minister and U.S. Secretary of State have bilateral talks
Russia is currently excluded from all events following a doping scandal
8 photographs of tsarist Russia showing ordinary people as subject matter
A video tour around the famous Bunker-42
A global treat with Russian trace
A stall selling meat at an outdoor food market in Yakutsk
How beasts turn into brands


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The company has also taken delivery of a brand new type, two Leonardo AW169 OGP compliant helicopters - state of the art off and on shore helicopters. Image: Abu Dhabi Aviation
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Chris Taylor, creator of award-winning PC strategy game Total Annihilation, has unveiled what's described as the game's 'spiritual successor' in the latest issue of PC Gamer US magazine.
The game has already been in development for 12 months, and goes under the name of Supreme Commander - presumably since Atari owns the Total Annihilation brand.
According to PC Gamer, Supreme Commander lets you manage multiple battles simultaneously - getting right into the thick of one fight, for example, while directing troops of robots fighting in other skirmishes.
You can pull out for an overview of all your campaigns and zoom in again if you spot an area where extra help is needed, and the game's said to offer more control than any RTS that's come before it.
Supreme Commander is being developed by Gas Powered Games, the studio established by Chris Taylor back in 1998, and will be published by THQ next year. More news as we get it.


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At the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston today, Tami Reller of Microsoft announced that the Windows 8.1 update, previously carrying the Blue moniker, is going to be free.
Microsoft will launch the update through its Windows Store with a public preview becoming available on June 26 (coinciding with the Build conference). In the meantime, the company will unveil the update’s newly added features and fixes.
She touted that the Windows Store now offers more than 70,000 apps. That’s 20,000 more than the store packed just two months ago.
An exact date for the release of the final version of Windows 8.1 hasn’t been disclosed yet, but it’s expected to launch around the end of the year. Expect an RTM version of the update around August, provided it keeps the schedule that Windows 8 established last year.
Via | Source


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- Earth Day 2018 LIVE Updates: Leaders across India, world urge people to save the planet through sustainable lifestyle
- Fali Nariman on Opposition move to impeach CJI Dipak Misra: A horribly black day in SC history
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Nissan Motor India on Monday reported 89.14 per cent jump in domestic sales at 4,948 units in September. The company had sold 2,616 units in the same month last year, Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd (NMIPL) said in a statement.
Commenting on the sales performance, NMIPL Managing Director Arun Malhotra said the ongoing fiscal has been encouraging especially the last quarter.
Watch What Else Is Making News
“Nissan has delivered solid results and we will begin the next quarter and festive season on a good note. Datsun redi-GO sales continue to be strong and we are delighted by its acceptance with consumers in India,” he added.


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Shock for Keg fans
A 50 per cent excise tax on popular Keg beer brand is pushing revellers to cheap illicit brews.
The price adjusted by the East African Breweries Ltd has led to a slump in sales as customers turn to the likes of chang’aa.
Most consumers were shocked by a doubling of prices as the government imposed the tax starting October 1 in an attempt to shore up revenues.
Previously the brand had been exempt from taxation.
This has seen the company which produces the beer in 50-litre barrels push the refill price to Sh6,544 up from Sh3,146, a 108 per cent increase at the wholesale level.
This has been passed on to consumers who now have to part with Sh50 for a 300ml mug. Previously the price was Sh30 while half a litre now costs Sh80, up from Sh50.
“I used to sell as much as two barrels during the weekend, but now I can’t even manage one. You have to ask yourself; where did those consumers go? Of course they are now taking the illegal stuff,” said Joel Wairegi the proprietor of Tabs Pub in Kawangware.
The beer was introduced in 2004 as a response to the myriad health effects of illegal liquor especially on low-income earners.
The low pricing was meant to shift this group to a safer product.
“Generally prices have gone up. I’d rather drink chang’aa and buy some food. I simply can’t pay double,” said Frederick Ochieng’, a Kawangware resident.
The drink has been popular with the low income earners.


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Michael Phelps criticised for Frosted Flakes sponsorship deal
LONDON - Michael Phelps, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, is suffering a backlash from health campaigners after agreeing to appear on boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes instead of the company's healthier Wheaties cereal brand.
After winning a record-breaking eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, US swimmer Phelps will appear on Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal boxes from mid-September.
However, some nutritionists have hit out at the move, pointing out that Frosted Flakes (the US equivalent of Frosties) contains three times as much sugar as Wheaties and a third of the fibre. Wheaties traditionally features Olympians on its boxes.
They have argued that Phelps, who already has a sponsorship agreement with McDonald's, is encouraging already overweight American children to eat more.
Douglas Castle, senior advisor to the Children's International Obesity Foundation (CIOF), said: "Public figures like Michael Phelps exert a major influence over our youngsters.
"CIOF believes that celebrities should think twice before choosing to endorse or encourage the consumption of any product which is inherently unhealthful (sic) to children, especially if that product is correlated to obesity, diabetes and a myriad of dangerous conditions."
Marta Cyhan, vice-president of global promotions at the Kellogg Company, said: "Michael embodies the values behind our Frosted Flakes Earn Your Stripes programme.
"As an official sponsor of the 2008 US Olympic team and a proud sponsor of Phelps, it is only fitting that Kellogg Company feature this world-class athlete on its iconic boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereals."
Phelps is currently appearing in a Visa commercial which celebrates his record-breaking achievement.
The TBWA/Chiat/Day ad is part of Visa's 'Go World' campaign. It features footage showing Phelps' part in the US swimming team's 4 x 100 freestyle relay victory.
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The Vivo X90 phone features an impressive display with a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen that also has a resolution of 1260 x 2800 pixels. With the phone’s slim bezels, the gadget achieves a remarkable screen-to-body ratio of about 90.9%, providing an immersive viewing area.
Under the hood, the Vivo X90 runs on the Android 13 operating system out of the box, customized with Vivo’s Funtouch 13 interface for the global version and OriginOS 3 for the Chinese variant. Powering the device is the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chipset, which was built on a 4nm architecture. The phone’s octa-core CPU consists of a combination of processing cores, including a high-performance Cortex-X3 core clocked at 3.05 GHz, three Cortex-A715 cores running at 2.85 GHz, and four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores operating at 1.80 GHz.
Vivo X90 receives a new software update – what’s new
Vivo has rolled out a new software update for its Vivo X90 smartphone, bringing improvements and enhancements when it comes to various aspects of the device. GSMArena brings details about the release.
The new update includes the latest May 2023 Android security patch, which means that if you have the Vivo X90 at home, you’re in for some strong advantages. The update also addresses issues related to app crashes and abnormal screen display, optimizing the system stability. When it comes to camera enhancements, the update improves the clarity of photos taken in Super Night Mode and enhances the overall camera functionality for a better experience while taking photos. Additionally, improvements are made to network adaptability and stability, status bar icons, third-party app compatibility, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The new software update for Vivo X90 is currently available in India and can be manually checked for in the device’s system settings. In other words, you should make sure that the phone remains connected to your WiFi network so the upcoming update will arrive as soon as possible.


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Xbox is a no-show for E3 2023
After Nintendo’s departure from the biggest gaming show in the world, Xbox confirmed to IGN last week that it would be following in the Japanese giant’s footsteps. Kinda. While Nintendo has pulled itself from the show entirely, Xbox will still be attending in a somewhat muted manner for E3 Digital.
The confirmation came soon after Microsoft announced its own annual Xbox showcase would take place on 11 June, with a separate Starfield show still in the works. The timing of which is surely no coincidence, what with E3 taking place from 13 to 16 June.
“We can’t wait to host our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11th and will share more details later,” said an Xbox spokesperson in its statement to IGN. “We also look forward to co-streaming our event as part of E3 Digital and will not be on the E3 show floor.”
All that’s left to do is await Sony’s announcement concerning E3. Don’t get your hopes up though. Sony gave the 2019 event a miss and hasn’t looked back since. According to a January report, all signs point to Sony’s decision to give the occasion a miss, focusing instead on its own State of Play events.
SpaceX’s ISS resupply
SpaceX’s 27th ISS resupply mission is set to take place this week, with the unmanned Cargo Dragon blasting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre on Tuesday, 14 March (Wednesday morning for watching South Africans). If Florida’s weather allows the launch to happen. NASA is live-streaming the entire launch over on its YouTube channel, NASA TV. Or, you know, you could watch it via that handy video above. Just sayin’.
Besides standard supplies, the capsule is carrying a horde of scientific experiments and equipment. Once there, the Cargo Dragon will stick around in the ISS docking bay for a month, allowing the astronauts to conclude their experiments and return the equipment and their findings for the capsule’s return journey.
On board is a project – led by students – to create and test a new sort of camera clamp designed to film in space, a Japanese experiment studying microscopic life’s resistance to space and research into tissue chips.
The launch is slated to begin at 5:30 PM P.T on Tuesday, 14 March. For South Africa, that’ll be at 2:30 AM the following Wednesday, 15 March. The Cargo Dragon capsule will spend all of Wednesday travelling, arriving at the ISS sometime on Thursday. If you’re more interested in the how and why of the ISS’ resupply missions you can find more information here.
Source: Digital Trends
Vinyl is back, baby
Vinyl has returned. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you? Vinyl has been a popular medium since its inception, though it’s seen a major uprising in the past decade amongst audiophiles and hipsters alike. And now, for the first time since 1987, vinyl sales have surpassed that of its largest physical competitor, the CD.
That’s according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which recently published its year-end revenue report for the music industry, showing vinyl’s far larger unit sales compared to CDs.
Keep in mind, vinyl has been the top dog for quite some time now in terms of revenue, raking in $1.2 billion compared to CDs, which only made $483 million in 2022. But that’s just revenue. What we’re discussing are physical unit sales. CDs, due to their price and availability, held the title for most units sold until vinyl recently snatched that spot.
Whether vinyl’s resurgence is just a trend, we couldn’t say. Many claim that vinyl records’ sound quality is unmatched, while others just like the aesthetic LPs bring with them. In ten years, we could be reporting the comeback of the CD, with whichever short-form app is king at the time leading the ‘retro’ charge.
Source: Ars Technica
Audi has an electric mountain bike that costs how much?
2016 was an… odd time. The internet still fawned over Elon Musk and electric vehicles were meant to radicalise the motoring industry almost overnight. Much has changed since then. Musk is no longer the internet’s golden boy and the motoring industry is still happily chugging fuel. The biggest difference? EVs are getting stranger by the minute.
Audi is proving our point with the announcement of its first electric mountain bike, inspired by the RS Q E-tron E2 electric Dakar Rally racer. The 250W Brose motor and 720Wh battery are being built by Italian brand Fantic. Three sizes will be on offer, with the cheapest starting at £8,500 – translating to roughly R186,000. Why? We couldn’t tell you.
We imagine it has something to do with Audi’s choice of premium materials. Sure, the battery and motor make up a large chunk of the cost, but Audi’s insistence on using big-budget components like Vittoria tires and a Selle Italia saddle do plenty to drive up the price. And that’s only the beginning. Audi has used plenty of other premium brands to build their e-bike. A full list can be found here.
We’re not sure whether Audi’s e-bike will be available in South Africa or not. We’re guessing… not. Audi has described the bike as being sold in a “limited run”, with the automobile manufacturer failing to mention where it would be sold, and how many it would be making. Should the “limited run” prove to be successful, we can expect to see Audi spend more time in the e-bike industry.


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Best Buy announcing restructuring plan
The retail giant will close 50 stores after quarterly loss
Electronics retailer Best Buy said Thursday it will close 50 big-box stores in the U.S. as it changes the focus of its operations to mobile.
The retailer also said it plans to open 100 new mobile locations as it rethinks its U.S. store set-up.
Brian Nagel, a research analyst at Oppenheimer, told CNBC Thursday that Best Buy's restructuring plans are fraught with danger, given that they are taking place "when the overall market is quite challenging."
Bricks-and-mortar retailer Best Buy has struggled in recent years as it has faced fierce competition from e-commerce giants such as Amazon.com and eBay.
News of the restructuring came as Best Buy reported its quarterly earnings .
The retailer reported a net loss of $1.7 billion, or $4.89 per share, for its fourth quarter ended March 3, 2012, compared to net income of $651 million, or $1.62 per diluted share for the prior-year period.


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CES: LG TV and Windows 8 gaming tablet win Best of CES awards
Other award winners include an Asus tablet, a Nokia Windows Phone, a Fujifilm camera and an HP ultrabook.
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Samsung’s seventh straight quarterly profit drop comes as Galaxy S6 phone sales fell short of expectations.


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Fortnite – Shockwave Grenade (New Item)
Want to launch players far away without fall damage? The Shockwave Grenade in Fortnite is just for you! It can even launch them through structures!
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The release of Galaxy S7 line-up in the global market shook the global smartphone economy. The results were clearly visible in the Samsung market report that was presented in the first quarter of 2016. While fiercest rival Apple reported decade’s lowest iPhone sales and quarterly earnings record, Samsung succeeded in snatching back its long-lost glory.
Propelled by a dramatic boost in mobile earnings, thanks to the robust sales of Galaxy S7 line-up, the upcoming report of Samsung quarterly earnings is going to please investors and shareholders.
Samsung earnings 2016 for the second quarter are said to be the best in last two years. On Thursday, the electronics behemoth will disclose final estimates for Samsung quarterly earnings for the successful second quarter of this year. Analysts are predicting that the strong sales report from mobile division is responsible for contributing 13 percent boost in Samsung’s operating profit from last year’s same period.
Analysts are predicting Samsung earnings 2016 (April – June) will report 7.8 trillion operating profit. In other words, this is going to be the highest operating profit generated by Samsung since it reported 8.5 trillion back in first quarter of 2014. The market consensus for operating profit of Samsung in the second quarter of 2016 is 26.2 percent up from the predictions that were made three months earlier. Some local companies such as Hi Investment & Security Co. had predicted Samsung to be up by 21 percent in the second quarter of 2016 with an operating profit of 8.1 trillion.
The operating profit for Samsung in the period January – March’16 moved up to 11.65 percent from previous year resulting in 6.67 trillion. In the same quarter, the net profit for Samsung moved to 13.55 percent resulting in 5.25 trillion. On the contrary, Samsung reported operating profit of 5.98 trillion in the first quarter of 2015. The net profit also experienced a fall by 39 percent in the same quarter of last year due to weak sales in mobile business.
Rounding up in 2015, the net profit for Samsung was 18.53 percent resulting in 19 trillion. The overall operating profit was reported to be 26.4 trillion, which was 5.55 percent up from 2014, but the sales reportedly dropped by 2.69 percent that led to 200.6 trillion.
Industry watchers predict that Samsung has raked in an operating profit of 4 trillion solely from its mobile division for this year’s second quarter.
Samsung mobiles posted 3.89 trillion as operating profit during the period January – March 2016. It was up by 42 percent from previous year. The shipments of Samsung’s flagship models such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 are responsible for dragging the company back on track. The series has undoubtedly performed beyond everyone’s expectations.
The powerful latest flagships, Samsung Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S7 Edge were released this year in March. According to sources, the combined shipments of these two models hovered at around 15M units in the period April – June. Also, the sales of S7 edge surpassed the Galaxy S7 despite the former being more expensive. Samsung reportedly sold 81.8M smartphone units across the globe in the first quarter of its release.
In the final analysis, the dramatic boost in sales of the S7 range is responsible for a highly profitable Samsung Earnings 2016.


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Guy Penini is experimenting with a carless lifestyle, relying mostly on ride-share giants Uber and Lyft, after he turned in a leased Audi SUV in May.
The 38-year-old Los Angeles real estate developer's three to five rides a day tend to be short, minimum-fare trips. But a few months into his ongoing experiment, he says the cost and convenience benefits of ride-sharing are up in the air. When Uber hikes rates, he cuts back on usage. In a pinch, he borrows cars from family members or gets rides with friends. He's tempted to buy a car again, but he isn't giving up on ride-hailing apps.
"I'm an easily frustrated driver, and you get a little more Zen in an Uber, sitting in the back," says Penini. "I definitely see myself doing more car-free days."
The story of ride-sharing is one of explosive growth as Uber and Lyft race to accumulate more customers and venture capital ahead of anticipated IPOs while they develop self-driving technologies. But underneath the automotive industry upheaval is the transformation of U.S. car culture, as Americans weigh how much owning and driving a car is still a source of freedom — and how much it's become an obstacle to freedom.
The cultural shift will be felt in many ways. For one, customers' relationships with car brands could change, if automakers cater more to Uber and Lyft as the new dominant buyers. And as people are freed from grinding out a daily commute behind the wheel, the car interior could emerge as a new space for work and leisure activities, kicking to the curb the act of driving as a form of recreation.
To be sure, most people still rely on their own cars to get around. A recent Pew survey showed that 66% of American adults were familiar with ride-sharing services but a mere 15% had actually used them and 33% were unaware they even exist. And the heaviest users may be concentrated among wealthier people in urban centers.
The impact on sales of General Motors (GM), Ford (F), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) and the like is still uncertain. The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) said there isn't enough data yet to estimate the effect of ride-sharing and similar "new mobility services" on future sales.
But the cultural shift's ramification could be profound and play out over years. Observers call today's changes the biggest to hit transportation since the Ford Model T and the interstate highway system.
Car Ownership Vs. Uber And Lyft
For decades, Americans have derived a sense of freedom and independence — as well as style, innovation and distinction — from their cars. That was reinforced in songs, TV shows and movies and accommodated by fast-food drive-thrus and drive-in theaters.
But new services promise freedom and mobility without being tied to the very costly asset that is a personal car, says CAR analyst Adela Spulber.
"In the future, you could rent a pickup truck one day and the rest of the week is a compact car," she told IBD. "From a consumer's point of view, it's an opportunity to have products and services that are a lot more tailored to their changing needs during their day-to-day life."
In addition to the standard service, ride-sharing companies allow customers to choose between shared or solo trips, and among compact cars, luxury sedans, SUVs or even the thrill of "exotic" rides in a Porsche Cayenne or Tesla (TSLA) Model S. Coupled with the vehicles they may already own, Americans now have more diverse ways to get around than they have ever had before — and many are loving it.
Even a city like Los Angeles, which exemplified America's love affair with cars, is changing. Take the case of Matthew Jacobs. The Los Angeles native loves automobiles and has a Smart car for running around town, an SUV for family drives and a Maserati sports car for the joy of it. He still averages five Uber or Lyft rides a week.
"Let's say I am running over to Century City — it is just a few miles from my home in Hancock Park," said Jacobs, 41, a real estate developer. "Getting in and out of the garages is slow. With an Uber, I wait a few minutes, but I don't have to think about parking."
Ride-Sharing's Cost-Benefit Analysis
If you compare the monetary costs of owning a car against taking Uber and Lyft, short trips are ideal for ride-sharing. Still, relying solely on Uber or Lyft can be 1.5 to 3.8 times more expensive than owning and driving a car, according to CAR.
Americans spend on average $8,558 every year to own and operate a vehicle, according to AAA's 2016 Your Driving Costs study. That includes fuel, maintenance and repair, tires, insurance, license and registration fees, taxes, depreciation and finance charges. (But it doesn't account for the hassle of fighting traffic or hunting for a spot to park.)
CAR's research has found that Uber or Lyft is a cost-effective option for those who travel less than 2,200 miles per year. But for those who travel more than 2,200 miles, which is just a fraction of the 10,900-mile national average, owning a car is more economical.
CAR researchers point out that ride-sharing is normally used as part of a mix of transportation modes. It based its cost analysis on some extreme scenarios to develop estimates on exclusive use of ride-hailing.
Even ride-sharing devotees use other modes of transit. Rather than own a car, Zach Winston prefers to bike or use Lyft to get wherever he needs to go. The 28-year-old data scientist has a driver's license but doesn't like driving.
"We have way too many cars in this country," he says. "It messes up the environment and makes our cities less livable and affordable."
His ride-sharing and biking cost less than owning a car would, although he's finding Lyft isn't always cheap. He recently spent more than $100 on Lyft in a week in San Jose, about what he'd spend in a month in Philadelphia, where he used to live.
Before Uber And Lyft, Attitudes Were Changing
As industry-shaking as Uber and Lyft have been, car culture was already in flux before they arrived on the scene. With technology becoming a bigger part of daily life, a separate shift in people's habits made a large chunk of the population ripe for the picking.
The car generally has a lesser symbolic role in terms of life achievement for today's younger generation than it had for previous ones, says CAR's Spulber. And the average age of new-car buyers increased by almost seven years between 2000 and 2015, according to the Federal Reserve.
Smartphones are often the object of greater interest for today's teens and young adults than cars are, others say, with the teeming world of social-media apps and multiplayer games diminishing the car's relevance to a social life.
"You don't need to have your mom drive you over to your friend's house to discuss what happened in school that day," says Ed Niedermeyer, an auto-industry analyst and co-founder of car blog Daily Kanban. "You can do that on Snapchat."
Niedermeyer, who is 34, believes this attitudinal shift is more pronounced among millennials younger than himself — such as his brother, who is 25 and for whom "it's not just that it is easier to connect digitally, but it makes less sense to try to get everyone into a physical space together and it's just not as important."
The cost of education and the associated debt burden also discourage young people from buying cars, which saddle them with the extra responsibility of car loans, he adds. "They don't get a sense of freedom, and freedom is essentially what cars are about."
Leslie Kendall, curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, recognizes that getting a driver's license isn't a big deal for young people anymore.
Young adults aren't visiting the museum in any lesser numbers than they did when it was founded nearly 25 years ago. But he sees one noticeable and telling change.
"What attracts younger people now is more the technology than style or nostalgia," he says.
What Ride-Sharing Means To The Auto Industry
Fortunately for the car industry, more technology is on the way, and it will fill up what some call the "third space," after the living room and workplace.
Car interiors are set to become the new tech battleground, as automakers, auto suppliers and tech firms step up innovations to give customers a more comfortable and entertaining time in a cabin that no longer has to be geared toward driving.
Ford has already integrated Amazon's Alexa cloud-based voice service into its vehicles, allowing consumers to shop, search and control smart-home gadgets on the road. But Amazon executives see a bigger future for the AI platform, saying "Alexa either becomes a mobile living room or mobile office."
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors has a vehicle interior concept with seats that can be rearranged into driving, family (or home theater), lounge and meeting configurations. And Panasonic sees a future where driverless cars zip along while families play board games across foldout tables in the cabin. Windows would become augmented reality surfaces, allowing passengers to learn about and interact with the world they are driving through.
Others imagine futuristic autonomous pods where social media feeds scroll across windows and glass roofs, with cabin lights changing based on passengers' moods.
As ride-hailing services emerge as a bigger force dictating demand for cars, the industry will cater more to their needs. Companies are reportedly looking at the airline and hotel industries for lessons on how to keep shared spaces tidy. A Fiat Chrysler executive told the Wall Street Journal that car interiors must be "puke proof" and a GM exec has said cars need "odor management."
The prospect of ride-sharing companies becoming major buyers for automakers is easing worries that vehicle sales will get killed.
"Selling to fleet managers represents not only a steady revenue stream from sales, but also an advertisement for their brand directed to car-sharing or ride-hailing users that may be tempted to buy a car one day," the CAR study said. "Ride-hailing and car-sharing companies could become reliable customers specifically for fuel-efficient, electric or luxury vehicles."


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Today collecting and storing electronic data is a legal necessity for most firms
- Dan R. Goddard
When litigation looms, businesses have a lot more to be concerned about nowadays than the paper trail.
Electronic discovery, or e-discovery, ferrets out electronically stored information (ESI) kept on a rapidly expanding galaxy of electronic devices.
E-mails and digital information on company and personal computers, CDs, DVDs, flash drives, voicemail, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, cell phones, smart phones, databases, Web sites, instant messaging (IM) chats, backup tapes and all other forms of electronic data are subject to e-discovery — along with old-fashioned paper documents.
“Only about 10 percent of documents are now on paper; everything else is electronic,” says Craig Ball, an Austin lawyer specializing in e-discovery and a self-described cybersleuth. “Companies need to be aware that in this day and age, at some point they are going to be in a lawsuit and that will make them accountable to the e-discovery process.”
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez says that companies have not been paying a lot of attention to e-discovery, but it is becoming a key factor in the legal process, especially civil suits.
“Companies by and large are not giving enough resources to their IT and law departments to deal with the issues raised by e-discovery,” Rodriguez says. “Since these departments do not generate revenue, they tend to be overlooked until a lawsuit is filed — it’s human nature. But the hard reality today is that most documents are electronic, and companies need to give a lot of thought and attention to how they are going to manage all that information.”
Most companies don’t have an organized system for retaining all of their electronic data.
DAN R. GODDARD is a San Antonio freelance writer.
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The higher speed access home users have means that web designers can make more graphic or media rich websites. Whether you’re on a home computer or a mobile phone, speed is extremely important. Japan has just announced that their networks will soon be able to take advantage of 42Mbps HSPA data directly to their phone.
While the UK is always going to be behind the technology capital of the world, it makes a good target for the future of internet access in the UK.
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Sony is still investigating the security breach that downed its PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services, but expects the gaming network will be back in operation this week, a company exec told media Sunday afternoon in Tokyo.
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published research showing that the SSL certificate system that underpins Web security is far from trustworthy.
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Very few people (certainly not the smart, savvy, people who read PCWorld articles) run their computers without up-to-date firewall and antivirus software. Most users know better than to click a message from "Bank of Amerika" that tells them "Your acc...
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Under the motto "Think New" Volkswagen will present a concept of electric car for the new era on the Paris Motorshow.
According to Volkswagen, one of a kind concept car will be VW's new ambassador in the automotive world, and into a new era of electric mobility. As they say, the vehicle will be the same kind of a breakthrough as the original Beetle was, when it was created seven decades ago.
The production vehicle, which will follow the concept, will be the first Volkswagens series car built on the new modular platform for EV cars (MEB). It will hit the streets in 2020, have around 500 km range, be the size of VW Golf and have the roomines of the bigger Passat. And even more importatnt: the plan is that the price will be no highar than the price of comparable diesel car!


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Are you going to MWC Barcelona?
The coronavirus pandemic is more than a year old and, here in the US, where COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020, the vaccination outlook has improved drastically in recent weeks.
Against that backdrop, when will business travel start to feel like business as usual?
We've been tracking the vendor and service provider travel decisions and outspoken new exhibitors emerging at MWC Barcelona, the communications industry's de facto global meeting place.
There's a definite building buzz around a public cloud evangelist and her crop of industry disruptors.
But the webscale giants themselves won't be on hand to soak up the adulation. It has been widely reported this week that Google is backing out of MWC. Light Reading sources have confirmed that Microsoft is also staying away.
On the silicon giants front, Intel has revealed that it's not going.
Since the messages are increasingly mixed, and we still have 87 days before the show starts, we thought we'd ask our audience what they think they'll be doing in late June, given what they know at the moment.
Please take our five-question survey about MWC plans and we'll share what we find out in a few days. We know the situation is changing all the time and we'll likely run this survey again in a few weeks to see how things evolve.
— Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading


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Kia Motors’ stock just had its best day in more than two decades after news media in South Korea reported that it was closing in on a major deal with Apple.
The automaker’s shares closed up 9.7% in Seoul on Wednesday, reaching 97,700 Korean won ($87.70) per share. That’s the highest level since August 1998, according to data provided by Refinitiv Eikon.
According to a report by the newspaper Dong-a Ilbo, Apple is about to invest 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion) in Kia for a partnership to build a new vehicle.
CNN Business was unable to verify the report. Kia and parent company Hyundai both declined to comment on Wednesday, while Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the newspaper, Kia would start producing cars for Apple at its factory in the US state of Georgia, with an initial target of 100,000 cars per year. That capacity could ramp up to 400,000 annually, it said.
The newspaper also reported that a deal could be signed as soon as February 17, with the goal of rolling out Apple cars by 2024.
Speculation about Apple’s interest in working with the South Korean auto industry has been ramping up lately.
Last month, Hyundai was reported to be in discussions with the iPhone maker to develop electric cars. The news at the time also propelled Hyundai’s shares to their best day in at least two decades.
Hyundai has previously said that it was “receiving proposals for cooperation from various companies, but no decision has been made yet.”
If the deal materializes, Apple’s multibillion-dollar investment would go toward manufacturing and development of the new car, according to Dong-a.
A collaboration with the South Korean giant could make a lot of sense.
Of all the automakers, Hyundai has been among the most open to joining forces with other companies — and even tech firms, according to analysts. Beyond its ownership of Kia, Hyundai is also working with Chinese search giant Baidu and US chipmaker Nvidia on autonomous driving. The large number of existing partnerships could make the company a more appealing partner to Apple.
Hyundai has also already made significant strides on next-generation vehicles, including hydrogen fuel-cell cars and an electric vehicle manufacturing platform it unveiled in December.
But Apple may also choose to enter multiple partnerships, with analysts floating other major carmakers as potential options.
— CNN’s Jake Kwon, Jill Disis and Charles Riley contributed to this report.


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How El Balconcito continues providing traditional Peruvian meals amid COVID-19
El Balconcito is one of three Peruvian restaurants run by Miguel Toro and his family in Philadelphia.
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Have you ever wondered what Peruvian food tastes like?
Did you know that there is a Peruvian restaurant that takes pride in knowing that their recipes are straight from Callao, Peru right here in Philadelphia?
Callao is where Miguel Toro and his family are from. He is the, co-owner of El Balconcito, where Toro and his family serve original Peruvian recipes to customers that have been served to them since they were kids.
“El Balconcito is a family-owned restaurant, we opened our first restaurant in 2005, where we have been giving customers satisfying meals that everyone in my family has been eating,” Toro said in a recent interview with AL Día News.
Not only does his family own El Balconcito, but also owns two more restaurants, El Balconcito II and Peru Vista, which recently opened in 2018.
Opening a restaurant wasn’t necessarily their goal, but just to do something together as a family.
“My family’s dream was to always work together and do something that we were all going to be proud of, so this is our opportunity to work together and enjoy every moment,” said Toro.
Their Peruvian food, which also has touches of Portuguese cuisine, has been a staple for local North Philadelphians that now crave foods that are exclusive to El Balconcito.
“Our most popular dishes are ceviche, which is a side dish made of raw fish, citrus juice, and spiced with chili peppers, and onions, another best seller is our lomo saltado, a stir fry that is made of sirloin steak, onions, tomatoes, and french fries,” Toro explained.
Business was booming, but came to an abrupt halt amid COVID-19.
Despite the stoppage, El Balconcito managed to make the most of it, even though the beginning of the pandemic was rough.
“My family and I didn’t know how to start, we were brainstorming together, and we believed that we should start delivering food straight to their homes,” said Toro.
They did it on their own at first, but Toro admitted that it got exhausting, leaving them to now work with GrubHub and DoorDash to handle deliveries.
Unlike other restaurants AL DÍA has profiled since the beginning of the 2021, partnering with the delivery apps was a boon to sales for El Balconcito.
“We did see a big increase in our sales after we started using delivery services, our sales went down from 80% to 40%, which is a big improvement for us, we were very happy with that,” said Toro.
On top of that, the restaurant was able to receive some grants from the state, which included grants for minority-owned businesses and businesses that were owned by women.
Toro’s mother is an owner of their family restaurants.
Also throughout the rough patch, El Balconcito had its customers to rely on to stay afloat.
“We’ve been in business for so many years, our customers knew that we were going to try our best in providing them with our meals,” Toro said.
When the city has gone back to limited indoor seating on Jan. 16, it was another step back towards normalcy for El Balconcito.
“We just opened our doors for dining, which we are optimistic about, we are looking forward to see how that goes,” he said.
Be sure to check our El Balconcito’s menu and try their famous ceviche and lomo saltado.